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Keeping your Car Safe

Your car is an expensive asset which means it comes with the risk of theft. Locking the car door is not enough. You will have to take other measures to ensure that this precious asset is not stolen. There are different security companies that you can approach for car security solutions.

OnStar systems operate over a digital cellular network in the United States, and its customers can contact the service 24 hours a day with the push of a button in their cars. Lost on some country back road? Connect with an advisor, and he or she will give you turn-by-turn directions to get you home. That’s one element of OnStar’s “three-button system” for communication. With an accompanying plan or pre-paid package of minutes, OnStar also provides hands-free calling with the push of the second button. The third button places an emergency call directly to an OnStar “Advisor.”

LoJack is one of the most famous examples of car security that uses radio tracking to hunt down and recover stolen vehicles. Most tracking devices share the same principal: Small transceivers are hidden somewhere inside the car and can be tracked by an outside source tuned to the proper frequency. Because GPS receivers require line-of-sight to an orbiting satellite to acquire a positioning fix, systems like the LoJack have the advantage of tracking cars in some places GPS will fail.

It is important to have a car alarm but this should not be done for the sake. Many times we are used to the sound of a car alarm and can even assume it. This is why a car alarm today should have extra features that go beyond a disturbing sound. Some alarms have a feature known as starter kill. It actually stops the car engine from running which means the thief will have a hard time trying to steal your vehicle. Well in summary there are several things to check on when buying a car alarm.

Features

In this section we look at all the different options that are included with the car alarms. We look for features like keyless entry, trunk release and starter-kill options. The remote start option is one of the most useful functions.

The car alarm remote can start your car from hundreds of feet away. The air conditioner or heater will turn on and help make the car more comfortable when it is extremely hot or cold outside. The engine will run for a predetermined amount of time before shutting off and, unless a key is inserted into the ignition, the car cannot be put into gear without the engine turning off.

Performance

In this section we review how well each car security system feature works. We look at the advertised and actual ranges of the remotes. We also review how easy it is to use the remote and perform all the different functions.

There are so many alarm features for one to check. You will never lack something that suits your needs. We have already seen that the starter kit prevents your car from being hotwired but what else is in store? If you are shopping for a car alarm then check it for other extra features.

Two-way remotes give you feedback on your car’s condition and response to commands.

Starter kill prevents your car from being hot-wired.

Motion sensors let you leave the top down or the windows open. They are also good for protecting the cargo areas in vans and trucks. The sensors will sound the alarm if someone invades your space.

Glass-break sensors sound the alarm when they “hear” a window breaking. This protects you from the thief who believes he can bypass your alarm by not opening the door.

A tilt sensor monitors the tilting of your parked vehicle caused by an attempt to jack up or tow your vehicle.

Driver’s side priority unlock lets you open your door without unlocking the others. You can get in your vehicle without letting your guard down.

Auxiliary outputs allow you to expand the alarm’s capabilities by adding features like a remote starter or window controls. Most alarms come with at least one auxiliary output. Consider everything you want the security system to do (now and in the future) when choosing an alarm.

Remote starting is the epitome of convenience — you can have your vehicle waiting for you warmed up on a cold day, or cooled down in summer. Remote start features either come built into a security system or can be added later with a remote start module.